


Language Barrier

by Reve_13



Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:04:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22818169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reve_13/pseuds/Reve_13
Summary: It was hard to live in foreign land. It was even harder if you don't speak the local language.Mikhail was trying to buy a Christmas gift for Feilong, and he realized he could not speak Cantonese. Will he success? Will Feilong teach him?I decided to leave the conversation in Cantonese as the way it is, so the non-Chinese readers could feel the same way as Mikhail did.
Relationships: Mikhail Arbatov/Liu Fei Long
Comments: 5
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文-普通话 國語 available: [語言障礙](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22833592) by [Reve_13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reve_13/pseuds/Reve_13)



> Usually gang's story by Japanese comic sensei all picture Hong Kong as the old Kowloon Walled City, dirty and messy. As a Hong Konger, I love how sensei pictured the modern Hong Kong. One minor thing is that Feilong's name was spelt in the Mandarin way. In Hong Kong, his name should be spelt as "Lau Fei Lung" and written as 劉飛龍 (in the traditional Chinese character instead of the simplified 刘 Liu in the comic). It's way more complicated to write. Think about if Mikhail is trying to learn how to write his love's name properly... 
> 
> Comic and movie world is a great world, where people from different part of the world (and outside Earth too) communicate effortlessly...

Mikhail Arbatov was facing a challenge.

As the Russian mafia boss, Mikhail was used to the bloody trading between gangs. These were no big deal to him. After all, he got his finest men’s loyalty that nothing could not be accomplished. Well, if you do not count the complicated relationship between him and Liu Fei Long, the leader of the White Snake.

It was December, not long before Christmas. As the former colonies of European countries, Macau and Hong Kong also celebrate Christmas as one of the most important festivals of the year. The underworld was bloodily competitive, but after all, Christmas is Christmas. The three biggest gangs that control the gambling business in Macau were holding the Christmas ball together. It was a great chance for the gangs to show off how wealthy they were by arriving in the fanciest cars, bringing the most stunning partner to the ball, and sending each other luxurious gifts. Mikhail and Feilong, as the bosses of the gangs, were of course invited.

Mikhail did not care about losing face in the gangs’ annual show-off competition, but he determined that he would give Feilong the best gift that he could lay his hands on. To court the flower on the high hill, you cannot fall into tawdry kinds of stuff. That was why Mikhail was walking alone in a crowded Christmas market in Macau.

Unlike mother Russia, Macau is a subtropical region that winter is not cold at all and surely there would never be any white Christmas. Mikhail sent off his guards that were always around him and decided to enjoy the sunny winter alone. Christmas market was very unlike home’s, it was more like street food stalls packed in the square. Occasionally, some stores were selling stuffy animals or key rings, but these do not seem like what Feilong will like.

Walking along the cobblestone road, Mikhail turned to Rua dos Ervanarios, the street that was famous for selling antiques. After the long walk, a deep blue china vase caught Mikhail’s attention. It was a tall vase, painted with a beautiful lotus flower on it. However, Mikhail found that he was facing the biggest challenge in his time in Macau.

He could not speak the local language.

As the boss of the mafia, he did not have to care for his own meal and daily necessities. Whatever he wants, his men could take care of it. Those he did business with were all trading in the international market, meaning that all of them were able to speak in English. It never occurs to Mikhail that not all people in his territory were able to communicate with him. 

“Eh…Do you speak English?” Mikhail greeted the antique shop owner with the usual big smile. However, the old man just waved his hands and said nothing back.

“Um…Can you tell me more about this vase?” Mikhail pointed to the vase.

“唔識聽啊。(1)” The old man waved his hand again, and took out a calculator and show Mikhail the price.

“No. I want to know more before I buy.” Mikhail looked at the price. Money was never the problem, but he would like to make sure it was worthy enough for Feilong.

“No? 唔買? 咁過主啦. (2)” Mistaken the only word that he understood, the shop owner thought Mikhail was just messing around in the shop with no intention in buying. He turned his back to Mikhail and walked back to the storeroom of the shop.

“What?” Even without understanding the words, Mikhail knew that he was not welcomed here. Half amused that he was treated like this in his territory and half disappointed, he walked out the store “Damn you. Feilong won’t want your rubbish anyway. He probably got a room full of these in his house.”

And it was probably true.

\----------

(1) 唔識聽啊。 = I don't understand you.  
(2) 唔買? 咁過主啦 = Not buying? Then go!


	2. Chapter 2

On second thought, sending Feilong a Chinese antique was probably not wise. Though Mikhail had never visited Feilong’s bedroom, he imagined that it would be decorated in the finest way with precious Chinese antiques.

He wandered again on the cobbled road, thinking hard on what the perfect gift for his love would be. Heading toward the end of the street, a small sign hanged outside what looked like an art gallery caught his attention.

“Looking for the best Christmas gift for the special someone?”

It felt like the sign was reading his mind, Mikhail cannot resist but to push open the front door of the shop. It was also like an art gallery inside. The store was not big, with a long wooden table and some chairs with matching colour located in the middle of the room. The wall was decorated with oil paintings. Not particularly fond of art, Mikhail cold not recognize any of these. It was not likely that famous pieces would be hanging on the wall of some unknown little shop in Macau anyway. There was paint scattered all around the table, but it did not look dirty. However, the paintings looked more like a decoration than the goods to sell. In fact, Mikhail could not tell what this shop is selling. 

“Um, excuse me? Anyone here?” Mikhail cleared his throat and called out loud.

There was the noise of people rushing down the stairs behind the closed door. The door was pushed open, and a Chinese girl with long black hair came into the room.

“外國人？(1)” said the girl, with a surprised look when she saw the tall blonde man in her store. “um, hello?”

“Oh, thank god. Do you speak English?” Mikhail was relieved after what happened in the antique shop. He was not prepared to be thrown out of the store twice in a day. 

“Oh, yes, I do. Welcome. Are you looking for something?” the girl replied with a gentle smile.

“Yes, I saw the sign out there. I am looking for a gift to my, um, love.” Mikhail found it was hard to find a word to describe Feilong to a stranger, “What exactly do you sell here?”

“Well, in that case, you are in the right place.” The girl gave Mikhail a big smile and handed him a big album, “We are a DIY workshop! Please take a look at our catalogue here.”

Mikhail turned the album pages. Apparently, these were the photos of the creations of the customers in the past. Cards, painting, pottery, and even hand-knit scarf. Mikhail never considered hand-made gift as an option. After all, it was so non-mafia like.

He was about to put down the album and leave when he spotted the photo of the Matryoshka doll.

“матрёшка? You can make this?”

“Ma..what?” The girl looked confused when she heard the Russian word, but she managed to glimpse the page Mikhail was on, “Oh the Russian dolls! Yes, we have these here. You can paint each little doll by yourself. You know, some people draw themselves on it…”

“I want to make this!”

Mikhail sat down next to the painted table. The girl laid down a set of five un-painted dolls and the brushes and paint on the table.

“Do you have any ideas where to begin, sir?”

“…No.” It was too late for Mikhail to realize that drawing was never his best talent.

“Well, first you will decide what to draw on each of these dolls. Like maybe, the father, mother, the children… or whatever that means something to you.” The girl, however, seemed like she was used to customers having no idea what they were doing. “If you are drawing people’s faces, you can take out their photos as a reference.”

Mikhail hesitated. The girl might not be able to recognize him, but it was too likely that Feilong, the local leader, would be recognized. It was just too weird for someone to draw the boss of the White Snake on the Russian dolls. Besides, he was confident that there was no way that he could draw Feilong’s beautiful face out.

“I’ll just use my imagination…” He picked up the pencil and started to draw the draft on the first doll. 

\--  
(1) 外國人 = Foreigner


	3. Chapter 3

Christmas ball was held in the largest ballroom of a grand hotel. Important members of the three gangs in Macau arrived at the site in the most expensive limousine that they could find. Same was true for the leaders of the White Snake and the Russian Mafia.

Feilong was wearing a deep green silk cheongsam, with the golden dragon embroidery on the chest. His long hair tied up casually in his back. He stepped out of the long black limousine with Tao, who was busy checking if Feilong’s clothes were wrinkled.

Mikhail drove his bright red convertible to the ball around the same time as Feilong. He was wearing a black suit without a tie. The first two buttons of his shirt was casually unbuttoned. He took out a large gift box, wrapped with the paper that had a picture of snowy winter on.

“Feilong! Hello!” Mikhail threw the car key to the valet boy waiting in the roadside.

“Mikhail.” Feilong looked up, and gave him a barely noticeable smile. “Yoh, please take these boxes to the ballroom for me. These are for those old men in the other organisations. Tao, take that one. Leave the one wrapped in golden paper to me.”

Feilong was holding the golden box by himself. Tao on the other hand, took a purple box from Yoh. The two of them left for the ballroom. Mikhail joined them in a small run.

The Christmas ball was indeed a showroom of the gangs. People dressed up in their best suits. Women were wearing the most sparkling jewellery, and all clutching the branded handbags. 

“Oh, this was nothing. I had great business up North this year.” An old man sent the other man a small box containing a Ferrari car key, “I heard that you have to sell your car to cover a loss in business? Come on, take this.”

Gift exchange was never that innocent. It was usually a way to mock the others and show off their own wealth. Some less powerful groups use this as the opportunity to suck up the big names. Feilong was not too fond of this, but tradition is tradition.

“Master Liu, we are the Tigers from New Territories in Hong Kong. Please accept our humble gift for the Christmas.” A middle-aged man with a goatee walked to Feilong as soon as he stepped in the ballroom. He was holding a wooden gift box, “We got this silk from Hangzhou, you know, the best one. It will make the best clothes for you.”

Feilong nodded with a small smile, and asked Tao to take the gift. 

“Mikhail! Feilong! How nice to see you here!” the Portuguese mafia boss, the last of the three gang leaders of Macau, came forward and greeted the two.

“Afonso.” Mikhail and Feilong took turn to shake his hand. “It has been a while.”

“Ha, I know you guys don’t celebrate Christmas in December. But who cares?” Afonso looked remarkably like the traditional Italian mafia in movies. He asked his subordinates to bring up two bottles of wine. “My gifts for you two. The best in Portugal.”

“Thanks.” Feilong took it and exchanged it with the purple one Tao was holding in hand, “This is from me. China tea set.”

“Boris! Pass that to me.” Mikhail called out for his subordinate who was following him in a distance, “This is from me. Russian lacquer box. I heard that you are collecting these little boxes?”

“Wow. Thanks guys. Enjoy your night here!” Afonso was thrilled, he was indeed collecting little jewellery boxes. He cannot resist the temptation to closely examine the one Mikhail gave him.

Afonso walked away, but many people spotted the two of them and kept presenting them various luxurious gifts. Soon, Tao and Boris were holding ten boxes each on their hands.

“Feilong, fancy a small break?” Mikhail shook the hand with the eleventh presenter and passed the newly received French crystal wine glass to Boris.

“…OK.” Feilong too, was a bit tired of these.

The two sneaked out of the ballroom as soon as possible, leaving Tao and Boris the heavy work of getting gifts. However, the two were each clutching a box on their hand.

“Ride that?” Mikhail spotted the cable car station in the hotel. This cable car travelled around the hotel and the street and hover right above a huge music fountain.

“…………” An awkward silence filled the compartment.

“…………Now what?” Feilong stared down the golden box that he was holding on his lap.

“Uh. Is that for me?” Mikhail gave Feilong a big warm smile and showed off the big box he was holding. “I’ve got something for you too.”

The two exchanged the boxes without another word. Mikhail found that what he thought the golden wrapping paper was indeed embroidered cloth. “Wow…what are these little squares embroidery?”

“…That’s not squares. That’s吉! It means lucky!” Feilong rolled his eyes, “Seriously you can’t read a single Chinese word, living in Macau for years? How do you tell if it was a men or ladies bathroom?”

“I wait until someone comes out. In fact, you reminded me of my journey to buy you the gift...” Mikhail secretly thought Feilong’s rolling eyes were quite cute. “Can I open it now? I heard that it is rude to open a gift in front of the senders in here…”

“Do it.” Feilong looked out of the window, “I don’t mind.”

Mikhail opened the gift carefully. It was a bottle of the finest vodka. It was not any random bottle, but a bottle that had a dragon sculpture crafted on the top and diamonds decorating it. Mikhail recognized it was The Eye of the Dragon, one of the most expensive vodkas in the world.

“Wow… this is a stereotype!” Mikhail laughed.

“So you don’t drink it?” furious by his laugh, Feilong’s frowned.

“…I do. I love it.” Mikhail knew that it would not end well if he continued to tease him, “Open mine.”

“…” Feilong opened the box from Mikhail, “Russian dolls? What is this?”

“Haha! I painted it! Does it remind you of me?” Mikhail laughed at Feilong confused expression. He grabbed the first doll from Feilong. It was a big brown bear. “Open it.”

“That’s you.” Feilong opened the first big bear, and the second one was a panda.

“……” Feilong rolled his eyes again, and opened it once more. The third doll was a blond man in a suit. “You again?”

“…Good that you can tell.” Mikhail felt a bit embarrassed at his own drawing.

“Looks like you. I guess the fourth one is me again?” Feilong smiled and open the third one. The forth little doll was a black long hair man in red clothes. It had a long golden animal with legs on the clothes as decoration. “What was that on the clothes? Lizard?”

“…Dragon.”

“Your drawing is horrible,” Feilong smirked and opened the last one. It was a little boy with black hair. “And this?”

“Tao.” Mikhail could not look into Feilong’s smirking eyes, “I don’t know what else to draw at last, then I thought of the little one that is always near you.”

“…Thanks. I will keep this in my room.” Feilong brushed a little, it was great that no one could tell that in the dark night. “…for a good laugh occasionally.”

The cable car ride was short, and soon their journey came to an end. The two of them heading back to the ballroom. Before entering, Feilong grabbed Mikhail’s hand and spoke to him in a whisper.

“我愛你.”

“Or oy nei?” Mikhail was surprised, but he had no idea what Feilong just said.

“It means go away” Feilong walked back to the room without looking twice to Mikhail, leaving Mikhail with his confused expression on his face. Anyway, he was quite used to Feilong’s changing of emotion.

“Boss! Where have you been? I’ve been taking all the gifts for you!” Boris came to the side of Mikhail once he entered the room. He was holding dozens of boxes, and a few bags were hanging on both of his arms “These were from the group in the old town area, and these were from …”

“Or oy nei.” Mikhail waved his hand to his subordinate. Boris was the one taking up the communication with the locals in Macau and was fluent in the local language. Mikhail just wanted to show off his newly learnt Cantonese words to him.

“…...What!?” Boris almost dropped everything but managed to get hold of them in the last second. “What were you saying? Boss?”

Mikhail could tell that it was nothing like “go away” now. He coughed a little, and asked “…what does that mean?”

Boris was looking at him in a suspicious look. “Who told you that? Another beautiful girl around the hotel? It means ‘I love you’!”

“I love you? As in Я люблю тебя?” Mikhail was half surprised and thrilled, but half unbelieving what he heard from Feilong.

“Yes…don't make me say that to you again. I have no interest in you, boss.”

“Damn you. Me too. I am leaving. Take care of the rest.” Mikhail patted the shoulder of Boris and gave him a big smile, “I think I have a chance for a nice Christmas night!”

“What!? No…” Boris stood there looking confused, with his hands full of gifts for his boss and many more to come, and saw his boss ran off happily to the boss of White Snake. “…Oh. I see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cable car idea was from the hotel Wynn Palace in Macau. 
> 
> The picture of the vodka were from https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/worlds-most-expensive-vodka-royal-dragon-unveils-us5-5-million-diamond-bottle/.


	4. Extra Scene

“Boris.” The Russian mafia boss was in a fantastically good mood since his disappearance from the ball with the White Snake’s leader on the Christmas night. It was like nothing in the world could upset him. Sitting on the leather couch, however, Mikhail was frowning with a very straight face. “I have been thinking.” 

“And?” His subordinate replied with a oh-not-again expression on his face. Ever since his accidental discovery of the relationship between his boss and the leader of another rivalry gang, Mikhail had been feeding him info of Feilong that Boris had no intention to know, including the dinner preference and the favourite hairdresser of the beauty. He admitted that Feilong was exceptionally beautiful, but still, the flower on the high hill was not someone like himself, a member of the other triad, should chase after. 

“That day when I was buying the gift for him,” Mikhail started again, “I was thrown out of the store.”

“Ah? Who dare to do that?” It was the first time Boris heard about Mikhail’s small adventure on the street of Macau. He quickly withdrawn his gun. “I will take care of this.”

“No, I was not asking you to finish him off or something.” Mikhail almost choked on his vodka when he heard his subordinate’s reply. “I was just trying to say that I could not communicate with that shop owner.”

“…” Boris slowly put his gun back to his back pocket.

“Teach me Cantonese.” Mikhail announced his plan with a straight face, “I want to say some romantic thing to Feilong in his language!”

“……Alright. You are the boss.”

“Before that, tell me how to distinguish men and ladies bathroom sign.”

“…Ah?”

* * *

It had been so long since the two meet again. They were both very busy managing business on the surface and in the underworld. Mikhail had been inviting Feilong for dinner for several times but were rejected. Couldn’t resist any more, Mikhail decided to drive his convertible right to the front door of White Snake’s headquarter.

“Mr. Arbatov.” It was Yoh who came out and greeted him. “Is Master Feilong expecting you?”

“Yes! Of course.” Mikhail replied instantly without any sign of hesitation. “Can you show me the way?”

Being the assistant and bodyguard of Feilong, Yoh knew very well of his master’s schedule and Mikhail was certainly not on it. However, he also knew what happened on that Christmas night and the complicated long story between Feilong and Asami Ryuichi. It was a good time for his master to move on from the haunted past. If he himself could not be the one, this Russian guy looked promising.

“Sure. Please follow me this way.” Yoh led Mikhail into the long corridor inside the headquarter. There were numerous rooms along the corridor and people were coming in and out of the room, glaring at Mikhail in a suspecting look.

After going up for a few floors, Mikhail finally arrived at the door of Feilong’s bedroom. Yoh knocked the huge wooden double door and the door was opened. It was not Feilong himself, but Tao.

“Yoh? Master just came out of the bath. Do you have important things to tell him?” Tao peeked out behind the door, “Oh, Mr. Ar-ba-to-vu?”

“Hi little guy.” Mikhail pushed open the door and invited himself in. Tao was too small to stop this muscular man. “Dear, where are you?”

“…Damnit.” Feilong was sitting in front of a dressing table, waiting for Tao to dry his hair. He heard the sound in the door and knew that this Russian bear would invade this room. “Tao, Yoh, it’s ok. Please leave.”

Mikhail casually walked towards Feilong. The long silky hair was still wet from the bath, making it shinier than usual. Mikhail picked up the hair brush on the table and began brushing it carefully.

“出去。” Feilong pushed aside Mikhail’s hand. “Go away.”

“Isn’t it ‘or oy nei’ in Cantonese? Teacher Feilong?” Mikhail smirked and dodged Feilong’s hand. “I am very serious in learning.”

Feilong rolled his eyes on him. It was surprising to know that Mikhail still remember.

“Teacher Feilong, now I know how to identify men and ladies bathroom. Men is the one with something up above, and ladies is the one with the crossing leg!” Mikhail continued to brush Feilong’s hair as if treating a fragile goods. “Don’t make me write it though.”

“Oh really? Congratulations on not having to wait outside the bathroom anymore.” Feilong closed his eyes and decided to enjoy the soft touch.

Mikhail took a towel nearby and soaked the remaining water on Feilong’s hair meticulously. He bended down and whispered to Feilong’s ear, “Feilong, ngo wui wing yuan oy nei.”

_I will forever love you._

Feilong could imagine how long did it take for this Russian to learn these few words. He opened his eyes and stared at the mirror. Mikhail was not smiling in his usual carefree way but looking very genuine. Feilong tilted his head and looked at the Russian boss’s eyes directly.

“Walk the talk.”

“Sure. My dear.”

“Now, learn how to write your name and mine. Student.” Feilong smirked and took out a paper from the drawer of the dressing table. “I might consider giving you some rewards if you manage it.”

He wrote the two names on the piece of paper and handed in to Mikhail.

> Liu Fei Long劉飛龍
> 
> Mikhail Arbatov米海爾 阿爾巴托夫

“Are you even serious?” Mikhail’s jaw dropped when he saw the words on the paper. “Can it be even more strokes? How is it possible that my name became so many characters? Are these crosses inside the word?”

“Yes. Have fun. You can use my desk there. I have one hour before my next appointment.” Feilong stood up with a smirking smile. You can’t be too easy to get, can you? 

* * *

_Extra of the extra_

"Damn it, I would like to see you speaking Russian!" Mikhail thrown the tenth paper that he had been copying names on. 

"Михаи́л Арба́тов" (Mikhail Arbatov)

"........How is that possible for one to be this perfect. Are there things you don't know how to do?"

"Try and find it out.. Мишка" (Mishka, abbreviation of Mikhail which also means bear), 


End file.
